jones



(No Model.)

B. I'. JONES 8a J. I. MAINS.

BAG LOCK.

- Patented May 17 1887.

lil/711114 N. PETERS. Phow-Limogmphcn washington. n; c.

llNiTnn STATES FaTnNT trice.

BENJAMIN F. JONES AND JOHN F. MAINS, OF INDIANAPOLS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORSOF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES O. OALDVVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECFICATION forming part 0i Letters Patent. No. 363,338, dated May 17,1887.

` Application filed March 29,1887. Serial No. 232,824. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN F. J ONES and JOHN F. MAINs, of the cityof Indianapo- 11s, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful l1uprovements in BagLLocks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our said invention consists in an improved construction of a bagfastener or lock especiali y designed for use with mail-bags,whereby avery cheap, convenient, and automatic lock 1s provided, as will behereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figurel is a perspective view of a half opened bag with one of our improvedlocks attached; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the lock separately; Fig.3, a longitudinal section through the same ou the dotted line 3 3; Fig.4, a horizontal section, looking upwardly from the dotted line 4. 4;Fig. 5, a cross-section on the dotted line 5 5; and Fig. 6, alongitudinal section similar to Fig. 3, except the parts are shown inlocked position.

The bag illustrated is an ordinary mail-sack having a cord threadedthrough eyelets near its top in the ordinary manner; and as neither itnor the cord'forms any part of our invention, but is simply shown toillustrate its use, they will not be further described, exceptincidentally in describing the bag-lock.

In said drawings,the portions marked A represent a clip to which thelock is hinged, B the base-piece of the locking device, and C thehousing in which the locking mechanism is mounted.

The clip A and base-piece B are hinged together, as shown, (but thisfeature is made a part of our application, No.232, 823, filed March29,1887, and will not, therefore, be particularly described l1erein,)said clip A being secured to Ithe side of the bag just below the eyelet,through which the free ends of the tie-rope extend, and said basepiece Bbeing preferably formed as a label-holder, as shown. Shoulders ornotches b are also preferably formed inthe top face of the base-piece toassist in holding the rope, as will be presently described.

The housing fC is of a suitable form to inclose the locking1nechanismpreferably semicylindrical, as shown-and is provided at itsfront and rear with orifices to permit the tierope to pass through. Itis also provided on its front end with a slot, through which the ends ofthe operating-levers project, as will be presently described. Levers Care mounted on a transverse pivot, c, therein, and at their rear endsare formed with a concave face to fit or conform to the shape of thecord, and also are provided with a sharp or square corner to engage withthe rope, as will be presently described. Near their front ends they areprovided with lugs c2 ou their sides, and a spring, 65

O2, is coiled around the pivot c', on which they are mounted, one endbearing against the housing and the other being forced down under saidlugs c2, thus tending to elevate said end and force the opposite enddown into contact with the rope, as will be readily understood. The endsof said levers are extended out through the slot in the forward end ofthe housing, as before stated, a sufficient distance to affordconvenientmeans for operating said levers.

rIhe operation of our said invention is as follows: It is preferablyattached to the bag and mounted on' the tie-rope, as shown. in Fig. 1.The bag may then be tied or fastened by simply pulling the tie-ropesthrough said fastening devices until the top of the bag is tightlygatl1- ered, when the sharp concave corners of the sp ring-mountedlevers Gautomatically engage with the rope, also tending to force itdown to engage with the sharp corner or shoulder b, formed in the topface of the base B, and thus securely clamp and hold said rope andsecure the bag in its tied position.` lVhcn it is desired to open thebag, it is done by simply taking hold of the catch, as shown. in Fig. 1,pressing down on the projecting ends of the levers with the thumb, thusrelieving the rope from the clamp, when the bag can be readily opened bysimply pulling outward ou the device, as will be readily seen.

Having thus fully described our said inveir tion, what we claim as new,and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with the bag and tierope, of a fastening deviceconsisting of a base and a housing, levers C', pivoted in said housing,the forward ends of which are extended IOO out through a slot in thefront part of the housing,formingthumbbearings,andaspring, G2, arrangedto force one end of said lever down against said rope, the end of saidlever which is forced down being formed With a concave corner,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bag and rope, of the fastening devicemounted on said rope and consisting of' the base B, formed with ashoulder or corner, b, in its top face, a housing, C, levers C', pvotedin said housing, formed with a lug, c2, and the spring O2, one end ofwhich is arranged to bear against said housing and` the other againstsaid lng to force one end of said lever downward, said end of 15 saidlever being formed with a concave face and a sharp or square corner, allsubstantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof We have hereunto set 01u1 hands and seals, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 2o 244th day of March, A. D. 1887. f

BENJAMIN F. JONES. F.. s] JOHN F. MAINS. L. s] 1n presence of v E. W.BRADFORD,

CHARLES L. THURBER.

